Quilt drama

I quilted and bound the “great-grandmother” quilt ( I have now determined that it was pieced by his great-grandmother and not grandmother) and put it in the washer to soak in some Oxyclean.  I hand agitated, let it spin out, threw in Wisk and hand agitated, spin, rinse (hand agitated again) and the final spin.  I pulled out the quilt and only one block plus part of another is coming apart. It is the same fabric in both. 

  I am now letting it dry and when I come home tonight I will figure out how to repair.
I used the suggestion to do an overall quilting pattern and I think it worked worked out well.  I made an attempt to quilt over the outside points of blocks to help secure them.  I also bound in black.  It actually looks surprisingly good all things considered.  Now – to just get it dry, repaired and in the mail!

Fabric

I went to Burkholder's after work on Thursday to pick up the backing fabric for the vintage quilt top.  I chose this from one of the feed sack collections

The background color is a very dark brown which appears black in my horrible kitchen lighting.  I choose something that was about as neutral as I could get since the quilt top is pretty crazy!  And speaking of the vintage quilt top, thanks to everyone for their input and quilting suggestions.  As I was examining the top yesterday, it appears that some of the blocks on the edge had bleach or something dripped on them.  I may end up changing the size and dimension of the top to eliminate the really banged up blocks.  If I had been neglectful in my treatment of the top I would feel awful about doing that.  However, I didn't abuse it so I am guilt-free.  I just want to preserve a bit of Tony's family history so I am going to do the best I can and call it a day.

Since Burkholder's was having a sale and I had a 30% discount coupon in my hot little hand, I bought these

This bundle of gorgeous is Ro Gregg Sophisticate Vintage Rose from Northcott Fabrics.  There are 25 fat quarters of the entire collection.  The colors range from pink to taupe to grey and black.  I totally changed my mind about the colors I wanted to use for the Swoon quilt.  I am going on retreat at the end of October and I think this will be my project...if I can just keep my hands off it until then!

I need a little help

When I lived in Seattle, my significant other was the recipient of several boxes from his great aunt's estate.  By the time I moved in most everyone in the family had picked through things but there were a couple of items that caught my eye.  One was this quilt top.

I was told by a couple of his family members that it was ugly and no one wanted it.  Well, it isn't gorgeous but it was made by his grandmother.  That means something and I know that he was very close to his grandmother.  Long story short, I took it.  I knew that at some point I would find a way to have it made into a quilt.

I have no idea what the fabrics are in the top.  They look a bit like rayon and since my assumption is that it was made from scraps from the 40's, that is probably a good guess.  The top is had stitched onto foundation fabric of muslin and feed sacks.

I know that I am going to have to do some repairs to the blocks.  It looks like a couple of blocks are coming apart.

Obviously, it is a scrap quilt and maybe not the prettiest thing but, as I said before, someone near and dear to him made it.

Here's my plan.  Secure the blocks, trim the raggedy edges and then find a nice reproduction feed sack fabric for the backing.  I will use cotton batting.  Now the plan gets a little shaky.  I do not have the time or skill to hand quilt this.  If it were a beautiful top, I would do it but this is borderline utilitarian so I don't feel badly about putting it on the long arm.  I have no idea what design to quilt.  Would a meander look goofy?  Should I just straight line it?

I have to quilt it this upcoming Saturday and then ask my sister if I can put it into her front loader washing machine.  I know that will be gentle enough to clean it (the fabric is dirty in places) without beating the heck out of it.  I have this deadline because I have to get it in the mail for his birthday which is on the 3rd of October.  It is one of those significant birthdays (60!) and I think this will be a great gift.

So, tell me your thoughts about my plan and any suggestions about the quilting.  I need a little help from my friends!

At last...

(I cannot type those two words without hearing Etta James in my head!)  My Chocolat quilt is finished.  Quilted, bound and washed...everything! I have been working on this quilt for more than 3 years.  I collected fabric for the longest time.  Because I had no idea what pattern I was going to use, I have have so much more fabric than I needed.  I have already used some of the yardage for valences in my bedroom and pillow shams.  Next up will be pillow cases, a bed skirt and I think I will still have enough to make enough patchwork fabric to cover a vintage spool chair in my room.  I think this may still be my all time favorite 3 Sisters collection from Moda...though I adore Portabello Market and Peace on Earth.  Ok, I love Vienna Nights, Roman Holiday, Glace', etc.  (Pretty much if 3 Sisters designs it, I buy it!)

I just did a big, fat meander on the long arm, nothing jazzy.  It took me five hours to blind stitch the binding.

This is the largest quilt I have made - queen size - and I cannot wait to put it on my bed.  Unfortunately, I will have to wait just a little longer since I left the darned thing at my sister's house!  

Linking up with

FNSI results

I started my evening ripping out stitches between blocks on my sister's quilt.  Someone suggested that I might sash the blocks.  That was not my original intent but the bias edges keep stretching and I cannot get the points to all line up so I am going to sash with a nice ivory cotton.  Unfortunately, I don't have said cotton so I have to shop.  (Damn the bad luck!)

There were several other things I could have done but I had pulled out some scraps last week and decided I needed a table topper for one of the end tables in my living room.  Determined to make a dent in the scrap pile, here's what I did

I only got as far as doing some stitch in the ditch to anchor the blocks.  Later this afternoon I will get it quilted.  This morning I am headed to my sister's to put a quilt on the long arm.  I have to cut the fabrics for a baby quilt some time this weekend and also need to make two bags.  So much to do and just so little time!  It would probably help if I stopped doing projects I want to do and do the ones that I need to do!

Friday Night Sew In!

How did I forget? I have so much to do!! I have videos stacked up next to the DVD player and I am ready to go.  Are you?

The "taking me forever" quilt

About 3 years ago, I decided to make my sister a quilt using fabrics that are totally in keeping with her decor and not my own. Maybe that is why it is taking me so long to make her quilt. It was supposed to be a Christmas present. Every few months she asks about her quilt. Now whenever I start a new project, she harasses me about the quilt. I really think all the points just got to me and I don't like making the little blocks. Here is where I am to date...sorta

There are another 5 blocks that are made and the only thing I need is one  more red star block.  I cannot find the "right" red fabric anywhere.  It is making me twitchy.  I went to my beloved Burkholder's yesterday and could not find what I wanted but ended up just settling with a piece that will have to do.  I am determined to get this completed by the weekend. 

And just because I love it so much, here is another bag that I finished

I could not love this fabric more!  I don't know if it is the subtle Asian influence or the contrast of red, beige and black but I love it.  This may just stay with me! 

This Labor Day

I actually labored this morning...at 5am.  I woke up very early, made a pot of coffee and then started to put the trash on the curb.  As I pulled the plastic bag out of the kitchen trash can, I saw something wet at the bottom of the can...and now leaking onto my kitchen floor.  I quickly pulled a fresh bag from under the kitchen sink and placed the leaking bag into it.  Now for the nasty mess on the floor.  That wasn't too bad...but the kitchen trash can was a different story entirely.  Because it was raining, I put the trash can in the bathtub, rinsed, dumped the water in the toilet and then filled then can with hot, soapy water.  I scrubbed it and the lid, dried and placed it back in the kitchen.  Then I had to scrub the tub and clean the toilet.  All before 5:30.  That's it...no more laboring today!

Yesterday I went to Burkholder's to search for some fabric to make a baby quilt.  This is the focal fabric that my customer choose

I think it has been in my stash for at least a couple of years.  The pattern that I am going to use only needs an additional 4 different fat quarters for the body of the quilt, a fairly narrow inner border and an outside border.  I know that I am going to use the focal fabric both in the body of the quilt and as the outer border.  Because I can't make up my mind about anything right now, I ended up with all this fabric

I had pieces cut for the inner border (4 pieces) and some of those are also fat quarters.  I won't use both in the quilt but this just indicates how wishy-washy I was with my fabric choices.  I think they all work so I am going to let my customer choose.  No additional thinking on my part!

I spent most of Sunday in the studio and worked on a couple more bags.  They are on the 3rd floor and I am on the first floor and I am way too lazy to go up and get them for a photo so I will do a "show and tell" next time I post.

I am taking a friend to Joann's today.  She is just beginning to sew and is armed with a coupon.  I just need to get several yards of fusible interfacing and some black thread.  I cannot believe how quickly I go through a big spool of black thread!

Hope you have a day off and the opportunity to do something fun!

We have a winner!

Random Org generator choose

Congratulations, Marci!  I will send you an email for your mailing information.  Thanks so much to everyone who entered.  I have been blogging since 2007 and have "met" some of the nicest women through blogging.  I so appreciate the fact that you take the time to read my little blurbs!

Giveaway drawing on Friday!

If you didn't leave a comment on my post from the other day and you want to put your name in the "hat", please leave a comment on that post!!  Drawing on Friday morning!!